Brevard North Carolina Real Estate Blog

There's a lot to love in Brevard, North Carolina so follow your heart and be here for a special three day Valentine's Day weekend special.

The fun starts on Friday with a Wine and Chocolate Tasting, a Gallery Tour, and a Valentine concert at the Porter Center. On Saturday, there are plenty of retail sales going on, a Body and Soul Art Show, learn about Frog Love in the Pink Beds, then wrap it up with a Sweetheart Dance and our own Dancing with The Stars. On Sunday, take a Nature Lovers Walk in Dupont State Forest, or visit the stores along Main Street for special weekend sales.

Visit the Heart of Brevard online for more information about the Valentine's Day Weekend Getaway, including special rates for accomodations.

Friday – February 12, 2010

10:00am-7:00pm  Body & Soul Art Show (Transylvania Community Arts Council)

10:00am-5:00pm  Sweetheart of a Sale (downtown)

5:00pm-8:00pm   Wine & Chocolate Tasting (Main Street Ltd.)

5:00pm-7:00pm    Cupid's Gallery Walk

7:00pm-8:00pm   "Red Gold" film about salmon struggling to mate (Headwater Outfitters)

7:30pm   Jessica Lee - The Valentine Violinist concert (Porter Center)

Saturday – February 13, 2010

10:00am-4:00pm   Body & Soul Art Show (Transylvania Community Arts Council)

10:00am-5:00pm   Sweetheart of a Sale (downtown)

10:00am   Waterfalls Link with Love (Gorges State Park)

11:00am-1:00pm  Headwaters Hugs & Fishes (fly casting & ties at Headwaters Outfitters)

11:00am-2:00pm   Frog Love in the Pink Beds (Cradle of Forestry)

12:30pm-2:30pm   Wine & Chocolate Tasting (Poppies Market)

2:00pm   Waterfalls Link with Love (Gorges State Park)

8:00pm-11:00pm  Sweetheart Dance & Dancing with Our Stars (Brevard Little Theatre/American Legion Hall) Admis. $10

Sunday – February 14, 2010

10:00am-5:00pm  Sweetheart of a Sale (downtown)

11:00am-3:00pm  Nature Lovers Walk (Dupont State Forest)

2:00pm   Waterfalls Link with Love (Gorges State Park)

3:00pm-4:00pm    Porter Center: Silent Screen Star Swoons in "IT" ($10 Admis.)

New original organ score. (Tickets go on sale at 2:00pm and doors open at 2:30pm)

Of course, if you want to know more about Brevard NC real estate and all the homes and land for sale in the Brevard, NC area call the Clay Team today or visit us online. If selling your home or land is your real heart's desire, ask about our FREE Market Report and how the Clay Team is leading the way with aggressive, optimistic marketing that gets results.

By the end of 2009, the Transylvania County, NC real estate market was down only slightly from 2008.  Like most of the country, real estate has not rebounded from the bountiful days of 2005 or 2006, but there is good news that the "free falling" seems to have slowed. 

The 2009 market showed a drop of only about 2% in the average seling price compared to 2008 and there were only 37 fewer residential properties sold.  In this past year, there were 241 residential closings in Transylvania County. The average list price was $327,090 and the average selling price was $298,064 or roughly 91% of asking.

As has been the case all year, the lion's share of homes that were sold were in the $100K-$300K price range, but it's important to note that there were 44 properties sold that ranged from $400K to well over $1M.

This past year our regional MLS added a feature that enables us to also search foreclosure data and in Transylvania County, there only 20 foreclosures in 2009.

Homes and Condos sold in the Brevard NC area during 2009:

Less than $100K - 21

$100K - $200K - 71

$200K - $300K - 68

$300K - $400K - 37

$400K - $500K - 13

$500K - $1M - 24

$1M+ - 7

For more information about homes for sale in the Brevard, NC area, visit the Clay Team online or call 828-551-6290 or 828-551-6291.

Buying land in North Carolina doesn't have to be a difficult or daunting task. But you do need to do a little homework and a have good Realtor who knows the area and isn't afraid to lace up their boots to walk the land with you.

About a month ago, we were contacted by someone on the east coast of North Carolina who wanted to find some property in the mountains that he could buy now, hang onto for a few years while the real estate market settles, and then eventually build a little cabin on. In matter of weeks, we found the perfect spot and he'll be closing on his property this month. Turn around time? Less than 30 days.

Buying now was a smart move! Land sales in western North Carolina have taken a big hit the last two years. This is not great news for sellers, of course, but for buyers, it's created excess inventory and incredible buying opportunities.

So what do you need to know if you're going to buy land in western North Carolina?

One of the first considerations is whether you want to be in a development, out in the "boonies", or somewhere in between. What's the difference?

In a development or planned community you can expect to find varying degrees of deed restrictions that can include the size and type of home  you can build (i.e. stick built vs modular vs manufactured), the materials you can use, and sometimes, a time frame for building. You'll also find annual property owner fees that you will pay whether you build or not. Often, once you have built, those fees can go up. Community deed restrictions can also include things like leash rules for pets, whether you can rent out your home or not, and amenity regulations.  The value in having deed restrictions is that they maintain the integrity of a community and ultimately the property values. Plus, an active property/home owners association is responsible for things like road maintenance, snow clearing, and the landscaping and maintenance of the common areas.

The polar opposite of a planned community or development is "unrestricted land."  Here, you can pretty much enjoy the freedom to build what you choose and use the land as you see fit. That means your neighbors can do the same....which may or may not be the most desirable situation depending on who your neighbors are.

In between those two extremes is property that has what we consider "sensible restrictions."  Sensible restrictions often include things like no farm animals, no mobile homes, no agriculture, and no temporary housing such as shacks or lean-tos. They often include some kind of minimum house size.  If there is a home owner's association, the dues are generally low and cover things like road maintenance which can be very important if you want to have good access to your property.

Once you've tackled the type of area where you want to be, you'll need to consider surveys, wells, and septics.

If you are even thinking about buying land in western North Carolina, you must determine your property lines and the only way to accomplish that is with a professional survey. With the help of your Realtor, you can find out if a piece of property has ever been surveyed. If there is a recorded survey, but it was a long time ago, a surveyor can reestablish the property lines for much less money than a new survey. But if the property has never been surveyed, it's impossible to know what you're really buying. Land is often handed down through families without any real verification of the size and boundaries. A survey is also important to verify you can actually get to your property. We've seen deals fall apart because a seller was selling land that had no deeded access to get to it.

Next you'll need to know if the property "perks".  "Perking" is a commonly used term that refers to whether or not a piece of property is suitable for a septic system.  Unless you are buying property that can be connected to a municipal sewer system, you'll need a private septic system.  This involves making application to the county and you'll need to know what size home you anticipate building, how many bedrooms, whether you'll have a basement or not, and some idea of where on the property the home would be built. Testing the soil and determining if the property will "perk" is done by the county health department.

Like the septic, unless you are tapped into a municipal or community water system, you'll need to determine where a well should be dug. Because a well has to be a certain number of feet from your septic system (for obvious reasons), the county will designate the area for the well when the septic testing is done.  However, there is no way to know how deep your well will need to be until a professional well company begins drilling.

One often overlooked consideration is when you start your property search. Our busiest season starts as early as March and ends sometime in late November, depending on the leaf season. But even though western NC is a great place to be if you want to escape summer heat, the best time to look for land is during the shoulder season between fall and spring. The reason is very practical - that's when the trees are bare and you can see the lay of the land you're considering and what surrounds it.

Last but not least, how do you plan to purchase the land? Lending has become a sticking point, not just for existing homes and new construction, but also for land since banks do not consider it collateral. If you don't have the cash to buy now, talk to your lender to determine your best financing options.

If you are interested in learning more about buying and selling real estate in western North Carolina, contact the Clay Team.  Or, you can jump start your search anytime you choose by visiting us on the web.

If you're going to be in the Brevard, NC area during January or February, check out just few of things you can do while you're here!

January 29 - Delbert McClinton
The Orange Peel - Asheville
$23.00 in advance/$25.00 at the door
Doors open 7 pm. Performance at 8 pm
For information: www.theorgangepeel.net

February 12 -   Body & Soul - an open show at TC Arts: Feb. 12-Mar. 12
Transylvania County Arts Council hosts a new exhibit of artwork with the theme "Body & Soul" which will run from Feb. 12 - March 12.
Location: TC Arts Council 349 S. Caldwell Street
Time(s): Monday - Friday, 10 am - 4 pm
Cost: Free
Contact: Tammy - TC Arts 884-2787 or vist www.tcarts.org/

February 21 -  Violin Fest
Brevard Philharmonic presents Guest Artist: Angelia Cho, violin; music of Dvorak, Beethoven, Mendelssohn. 3p.m. at the Porter Center. Pre-concert interview with Angelia Cho 2p.m. $25 (youth $5)
Location: Porter Center at Brevard College
Time(s): 3p.m.
Cost: $25 (youth $5)
Contact: 828-884-4221 www.BrevardPhilharmonic.org.

February 28 - Asheville Symphony Orchestra